Means for disposing of sewer-gas in buildings



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. B-- Means-for Disposing of Sewer Gas in Buildings.

' No. 239,940. Patented April 12, 1881.

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W. M. DEB. Means for Disposing of Sewer Gas'in Buildings No. 239,940. Patented Apt-"12,1881.

lllllllll lull ll lillllllll UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

WILLIAM M. DEE, or oHIoAeo, ILLINOIS.

MEANS FOR DISPOSING OF SEWER-GAS IN BUlLDINlG S.

SFECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 239,940, dated April 12, 1881. Application filed December 13, 1880. v (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. DEE, residing at Chicago, in the county of (look and State of Illinois, and a citizen of the United States, have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods for Disposing of Sewer-Gas in Buildings, of which the following is a full description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation, and Fig. 2 a top or plan view, showing the horizontal and vertical pipes of the sewerage, with the suction or ascending shaft and its connections for creating a vacuum in and inflow from the sewerage-pipes.

The object of this invention is to prevent the escape into a house or building of the gas or gases generated or arising from the sewerage by creating a vacuum in the sewerage system above the water-line of the main sewer-trap, by means of which an inflow or suction is produced throughout thepipes of the entire sewerage system, which will draw off the gas or gases from the various pipes and maintain a circulation which will keep the house or building pure or free from gas or gases; and its nature consists in providing a conduit or asi cending shaft located in the flue or chimney and connected with the main sewer of the house or building, and having a continuous suction or ascending current, which will produce in the housesewerageavacuum and an outflow therefrominto the shaft in providing a branch pipe or conduit leading from the conduit or ascendin g shaft to the waste-pipe of the sink or other receptacle which empties into the catch-basin, for relieving the waste-pipe; in providing the main house-sewer with a double trap and connecting such trap with the conduit or ascending shaft by a relief-pipe and in providing a vent or pressure pipe. leading from the main house-sewer, back of its trap, to the exterior I air, for maintaining a circulation through the sewer.

In the drawings, A represents the conduit or ascending shaft for producing a suction and conduit or passage A; G, the flue or chimney of the house or building; H, the man-hole for allowing access to the traps of the sewer B; I, the sink; J, the branch or lateral leading to a water closet; K, the watercloset; L, the branches or laterals leading to wash bowls; M, the wash-bowls; a, the traps of the sewer B; b, the trap of the Water-pipe D; c, the vent or pressure pipe for supplying air to the sewerB.

The conduit or ascending shaft A is preferably located in the flue or chimney for therange, stove, furnace, or other heating apparatus, in which a fire is maintained continuously in order to have the heat of the flue or chimney produce an upward or ascending current in the conduit or ascending shaft at all times. This conduit or ascending shaft may be made of fire-clay or other suitable material which will stand heat and which will not be affected by expansion or contraction, and its interior diamcter must be sufficient to produce a suction that will create a vacuum in the various pipes of the sewerage system and cause a current to enter and pass up and out of the shaft. For ordinary use a four-inch interior diameter will be suiiicient. This conduit or ascending shaft is located in the corner of the chimney orflue, so as not to interfere to any great extent with the draft, and when the flue is large enough may be entirely within the flue or chimney; but for small fines or chimneys it can be located so as to project two-thirds into the chimney, the remaining third being built in the wall and chimney-corner, and for this class of chimneys the shaft can be located in one of the outer corners. This conduit or ascending shaft is connected at its lower end with the 'mai n sewer or pipe B, and its upper end terminates at or near the mouth of the chimney.

The main sewer-pipeB, catch-basin G, waste pipe D, chimney or flue G, man-hole H, sink I, lateral or branch J, water-closet K, branches or laterals L, and wash-basins ll/I may be of any of the ordinary and wellknown forms of construction and arrangement, the waste-pipe being provided with an ordinary trap, b, and

the branches or laterals also having traps located and operating as usual.

The pipe or branch E is connected at one end with the waste-pipe D at a point below the trap b, and its other end is connected with the lower IOO end of the conduit or ascending shaft A, so that the suction produced by such shaft will extend to the waste-pipe and will draw of or exhaust the gas or gases of the waste-pipe.

As shown, the sewer B is provided with a double trap, a, the more effectually to prevent back flow of the gas from the street-sewer; and leading from this trap to the conduit or ascending shaft A is a pipe, F, which pipe acts to prevent the trap to from becoming air-bound and prevents siphoning of the trap, and in case anyback flow should occur from any cause such back flow cannot pass the inner trap, as it must enter the relief F and pass to the conduit or ascending shaft. The conduit or ascending shaft, being subjected tothe action of the heat passing up the flue or chimney, becomes heated in turn, and this heating must produce an ascending current in the shaft, which acts throughout the en tire sewerage system, including both the horizontal and vertical pipes, and the current thus produced, being from the sewerage-pipes into the conduit or ascending shaft, must create a vacuum in the pipes, causing a relief of the pipes from the gas or gases, removing the gas or gases from the pipes, and preventing their escape into the house or building.

The double trap a is not absolutely essential, but forms a more effectual check against the entrance of the gas from the street-sewer. A single trag can be used, if desired, in which case the relief-pipe F can be dispensed with. When a single trap is used the suction will relieve the main sewer back of the trap in case the gas should pass the trap.

Avent or pressure pipe, 0, is shown, and may be employed to increase the circulation in the sewer by causing an inflow of air from the outside. Ordinarily sufficient pressure will be produced from the catch-basin to maintain a perfect circulation in and through the sewer. The vent-pipe is to be provided with a very small opening.

For ordinary use the branch pipe E may be of the same diameter as the shaft A. The relief-pipe may be of a two-inch diameter, and the vent-pipe, when used, a quarter-inch in diameter; but other diameter of pipes can be used.

In the United States Patent No. 199,582 is shown and described a system of ventilation in which a house waste-pipe is connected with a sewer and is provided with a short pipe leading to a flue in the wall of a building; but this arrangement will not perform the function of the structure claimed by me, because according to my invention it is essential that the ascending shaft be air-tight, and that it be arranged within and extend through the chimney or flue, so that the heat therein will cause and urge an upward current in the ascending shaft; and, further, the air-tight pipe prevents the entrance of the gases into the buildingthrough the usual stove-pipe openings in the chimney.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. The conduit or ascending shaft A,locatcd in the flue or chimney and leading from the sewerB through the flue or chimney to the top of the house or building, for producing a suction and creating a vacuum, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. The conduit or ascending shaft A, located in the flue or chimney, and branch pipe E, in

combination with the sewer B and waste-pipe D, for relieving the waste-pipe and preventing the escape of the gas, substantially as. specified.

3. The conduit or ascending shaft A, located in the flue or chimney, and relief-pipe F, in combination with the sewer B, having the double trap a, for preventing the trap from becoming air-bound and producing a suction or vacuum in the sewer, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. The conduit or ascending shaft A, located in the flue or chimney, branch suction-pipe E, and relief-pipe F, in combination with the sewer B, having the double trap a, and wastepipe D, for producing and maintaining a vacuum and preventing the escape of gas into the house, substantially as specified.

WILLIAM M. DEE.

Witnesses O. W. BOND, B. A. PRICE. 

